


Getting It (almost) Right

by magician



Category: The Sentinel (TV)
Genre: Christmas, Friendship, Seasonal, Secret Santa
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-16
Updated: 2018-12-16
Packaged: 2019-09-19 13:34:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 998
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17002638
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/magician/pseuds/magician
Summary: Megan returns from a visit to Australia and she's on a mission.





	Getting It (almost) Right

**Author's Note:**

> **Prompt: Nutcracker** – due 15th Dec/revealed 16th Dec

Megan Connor walked into Major Crime, stopping to talk with Rhonda.  
  
"How's your mom doing?" Rhonda asked sympathetically.  
  
"We moved her to a facility," Megan answered. "She probably could have stayed home for another year, even with the dementia, but after the stroke it was too much for Dad. They've taken an apartment there, so they can be together."  
  
"It sounds like he'll get the support he needs to take care of her."  
  
Megan sighed.  "Yeah, that's what we figured.  I offered to go back, to do the cooking and such, but Mum needs physical therapy as well as medications and a very specific diet.  Honestly, I don't know how Dad did it by himself.  Anyway, the place is nice, and they 're settled." She looked around, but none of her colleagues had arrived yet. "How did things go here?"  
  
"Just fine. Jim and Blair handled all your cases, even got one solved and made good progress on a couple of others.  They'll fill you in."  
  
"I felt badly that they cancelled their vacation plans, but so grateful they volunteered to cover for me, especially with Joel going out with a wrenched back," Megan said, referring to her usual partner.  
  
"Oh, no, they were fine with it.  Jim was only taking those days because Simon insisted he use up his accumulated time off.  They'll reschedule now that you're back and HR has cleared Joel to return tomorrow." She looked up. "Oh, here they come, now."  
  
Megan approached Jim and Blair as they entered the squad room, giving each a tight hug. Jim was completely nonplussed, looking helplessly at Blair and then patting Megan on her back. "Hey, Connor," he said, "glad to see you, too."    
  
Blair returned her hug more enthusiastically. "Welcome back. How're your folks?"  
  
"They're doing okay," she answered. "Let's grab some coffee. I'll tell you about it and you can catch me up on the cases." As they turned to go, she said, "Oh, I almost forgot.  I brought you something from home." She handed them a bag that contained wrapped packages. "Don't open until Christmas," she instructed them.  Blair dropped it on his desk and they left for the break room.

  
  
   
  
"It's close enough to midnight to open at least one present," Blair said, grabbing Megan's bag.  It contained an envelope and two packages.  Blair picked up the envelope, but it had _"_ _Open this last!_ _"_ written on it.  He put it aside.  The larger package had a tag which read: " _Jimbo - open this second_ ," and the smaller one's tag read " _Sandy - open this one first_." Blair laughed and tore it open, then looked puzzled.  
  
He pulled out a contraption made from stainless steel, triangular in shape, with a bolt intersecting one of the angles and a handle on the bolt to make it easier to screw it up and down through the triangle.  Blair shivered as he flashed on stories of the Spanish Inquisition, since it looked for all the world like a modern-day thumb screw.  "Do you have any idea what this is?"  
  
"Not a clue. Maybe Connor's idea of modern art?"  
  
Blair put it down and picked up the other package. "We'll ask her next week. Open yours."  
  
Jim smiled and obligingly tore it open.  "Didn't Connor go to Australia?" At Blair's nod, he added, "Maybe she had a layover in Hawaii," he said, pulling out a large bag of unshelled macadamia nuts.    
  
Blair frowned for a few seconds, then brightened.  "I remember reading that macadamias originated in Australia." He grinned. "And now I know what this thing is.  Gimme one of those."  
  
Jim handed Blair a nut, which he put in the center of the triangle, then screwed down the bolt to catch and immobilize the nut.  He continued to crank down until the bolt cracked the shell.  Blair then backed the bolt off and pulled out the shelled nut, which he handed to Jim.  "Macadamias have the hardest shells of all nuts. They'll break an ordinary nutcracker, and using a hammer makes a mess.  This is a macadamia nut cracker."  
  
Jim ate the nut. "Mm, really fresh. Of course, it would be even better toasted… or in some cookies," he suggested with a smile.  
  
Blair grinned. "Well, start cracking. I'm going to need a lot of these."  
  
Jim picked up the nutcracker, admiring the simplicity of the device.  He grabbed two bowls from the kitchen, one for the nuts and one for the shells. "What's in the envelope," he asked as he started shelling.  
  
Blair pulled out a large card which had a koala on the front.  He opened it and read: " _Dear Jim and Blair_ \--hey she used our names!" Jim just rolled his eyes, and Blair began again.  
  
" _Dear Jim and Blair,_  
  
_By now, you've probably figured out my message. Your gifts are useless by themselves - they need to be together to work._  
  
_One thing I learned from this trip home is how precious love is and how little time we have to find and keep it.  Don't you two waste another minute._

 _Your friend, Megan_."  
  
Jim snorted, "That's Connor all right.  Always sticking her nose where it doesn't belong and getting it wrong," he said, but without any heat.  
  
"Aw, come on," Blair protested. "Concluding you were a psychic was understandable, and ended up working well for us." He snagged a macadamia. "And this just proves we've been careful enough that she hasn't noticed." He gave Jim a quick kiss, then popped the nut in his mouth. "I'll have to do something special for her--this was really sweet." Jim nodded and leaned in for another kiss.

  
  
  
Megan discovered a Tupperware container on her desk, filled with cookies.   A note in Blair's handwriting read:  
  
_Megan - these are White Chocolate, Cranberry and Macadamia Nut cookies I baked using our presents. Thanks for them and for the advice.  We'll take it under advisement. - B_

She took a bite, moaning in pleasure, and decided playing cupid definitely had its rewards.

 

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Picture courtesy of Anwenk


End file.
